General Nia FAQ
What is Nia?
Nia is a personal growth, body-mind-spirit fitness program. It is a "living system" that works with the natural wisdom and intelligence of the body, mind, spirit, and emotions. Nia supports the Pleasure Principle: If it feels good keep doing it, if it hurts, stop!
Who created Nia?
Nia was created in the early 1980's by Debbie Rosas (then Debbie Bender) and Carlos Rosas.
Why was Nia created?
Through an incredible movement experience outside the usual fitness paradigm Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas discovered for themselves that pleasure and joy, rather than pain and guilt, were far more effective motivational tools to helping us improve our fitness, participation, level of enjoyment and adherence. Their pioneering and ground-breaking work has been time-tested since 1983, withstanding press, customer, medical, and industry scrutiny that questioned our slowing down, expressing feelings, reducing impact, and taking the shoes off.
Who takes Nia?
Nia Students and teachers represent all ages, fitness levels, and nationalities. Nia students range from people who are enthusiasts of dance and movement to people who have never exercised or danced before Nia is adaptable to any age range or fitness level. Participants enjoy Nia's comfortable, natural approach to working out that allows for self-expression, exploration, and individuality.
What are the benefits of taking Nia?
When participants embrace an active, healthy lifestyle, they can attain increased fitness, health, and well-being in their body, mind, emotions, and spirit. As a movement program based on the Pleasure Principle, Nia:
- Increases the pleasure of living in your body
- Creates weight loss and proper weight maintenance
- Strengthens muscles, improves muscle tone, and increases muscle definition
- Calms the mind and relieves stress
- Improves endurance
- Increases grace and flexibility
- Balances the autonomic nervous system
- Improves posture and can even increase height
- Improves organ function, particularly that of the heart and lungs
- Enhances sensory awareness
- Builds reservoirs of chi
- Alleviates emotional problems, including depression, anxiety, and stress
- Improves circulation of blood and improves lymphatic drainage
- Strengthens immunity
- Improves concentration and cognitive function
Does Nia require special equipment?
No, Nia requires no equipment. In fact, Nia was designed to be performed in bare feet.
Can someone participate as an individual or is a group required?
While Nia was created as a group exerercise program, you can still participate as an individual. You can purchase Nia routines to practice at home, and you can also have one-on-one personal training sessions with a Nia Teacher.
Does Nia require a trained teacher?
Yes. Nia teachers are required to attend the White Belt Intensive Training to become certified, and they must purchase and renew an annual license to teach Nia. In the Nia Training, participants are trained to develop skills in cognitive and experiential knowledge of the body, mind, spirit, and emotions; bio-mechanics of movement; nine movement forms; and teaching and communication techniques, including human potential and psychology. The Responsibilities of the teacher are to safely and effectively guide, internally direct, educate, personally empower, and stimulate students to self-direct their own experience, including being responsible for the choices and decisions they make regarding their own fitness and lifestyle process.
Has Nia received industry recognition?
Over the past 20 years, Nia has been presented at Health and Fitness industry programs, such as IDEA, Mind-Body, and IRHSA Conventions, as well as in Wellness and Consciousness industry programs, such as the Science and Consciousness Convention, the National Wellness Conference, and Health Magazine's annual Women's Wellness Weekend. Nia is recognized as an ACE and AFAA CEC provider.
What is the future of Nia and Body-Mind Healing?
Nia is constantly growing and expanding in its vision of providing the very best body-mind-spirit education in the world. As a company, we are committed to our on-going growth and development to:
- Inspire people to have a loving relationship with their body
- Educate and spread the message that loving movement leads to positive lifestyle change and wellness
- Motivate people to take action and make choices and decisions that will help them achieve their goals